🧂 Vanilla paste
Allergen note
Vanilla allergy is rare, though vanilla can occasionally irritate sensitive skin. Most pastes are made from vanilla seeds, vanilla extract (which contains alcohol), sugar or glucose syrup and a thickener, so read the label and choose one with a short ingredient list.
How to serve
Because most vanilla paste contains sugar and alcohol-based extract, use it mainly in cooked foods such as pancakes, muffins or baked oatmeal, and keep amounts small for children under 2, about ⅛ teaspoon per batch. For uncooked foods like plain yogurt, scrape in a few seeds from a vanilla bean instead.
Preparation
Stir the paste into batter or porridge before cooking; baking or simmering reduces its small amount of alcohol further. Let fruit such as ripe banana, apple or pear provide the sweetness instead of extra sugar, and store the jar tightly closed.
Texture and choking risk
The paste is smooth and its seeds are tiny, so the choking concern lies mainly in the foods you flavor with it: offer pancakes and muffins in soft strips, keep baked oatmeal moist, and supervise. Store the jar out of reach, since it contains alcohol.
Starting ages are typical guidance for healthy, full-term babies who show signs of readiness. Your paediatrician may advise differently, especially where there is a family history of allergy.
Track first tastes and reactions
Log when your child first tries vanilla paste, note any reaction and see it in the allergen tracker.
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